写真 (xiězhēn) originally meant 'realistic portrayal' or 'portrait' in classical Chinese. In modern usage, particularly in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and influenced by Japanese culture (
写真 shashinn in Japanese means 'photograph'), it refers to professional portrait photography or photo shoots — often glamour or artistic photo sets of celebrities, models, or individuals. On the mainland,
照片 (zhàopiàn) is the everyday word for photo.
